Christmas Gifts that Give Back

With Christmas just around the corner most of us will be doing lots of shopping for our friends and family.   Why not shop for something that goes beyond just the gift itself?  There are many organizations and shops whose proceeds go towards helping those in need.  I wanted to highlight some of my favorite that help women and children who have been or are at risk of being trafficked.

WAR Chest Boutique is an arm of Women at Risk International.  Traffic victims are given shelter and care in one of their 5 safe houses and trained with a skill to help them go forward in life.  The items are sold online at their website, but they also have 3 store front locations in Naperville, IL as well as Wyoming and Rockford, MI.  They sell many different types of items, but this is one of my favorites.  A metal engraved bookmark made by a woman in Thailand.   Cost $10

Freeset offers women of the Sonagichi red-light district of Kolkata employment and the opportunity leave a profession they never chose.  Some of the women working there being as young as thirteen.  Freeset sells quality jute bags and organic cotton t-shirts.

Freeset has also teamed up with the MOB Society to offer this cute bag.  With 250 bags purchased, they can rescue FOUR WOMEN out of trafficking and train them for freedom.  These MOB Society bags are especially designed with blue-hued recycled sari’s (the dresses the beautiful women wear.)  Each bag is made by a woman freed from human trafficking. To read more or to purchase one of these bags go Here.


IJM (International Justice Mission) is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual expoitation and other forms of violent oppression. This Christmas CD was written and performed by many of the biggest names in Christian music.   Every CD purchase helps to rescue another victim of Slavery.  Family Christian stores are selling for just $5.   Purchase online here

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.  As a family you might want to purchase something from their catalog to help victims of human trafficking.  You can read more about that idea in my World Vision Post

Books - Give yourself or someone else the gift of knowledge.  While this subject is a hard one, it is one that needs to be made known.  Sold is the story of what typically happens to young girls living in Nepal who are smuggled into India and sold into prostition.  You can read my review Here or purchase from Amazon.

Half the Sky is a book that has started a whole movement.  It is a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.  Takes on the problems of sex trafficking and forced prostitution, gender-based violence, and maternal mortality. This book has moved many people to action.  Purchase from Amazon.

Do you have a Coffee lover to shop for?  The The Catalyst Foundation works passionately in Vietnam to prevent human trafficking by attacking its root cause - poverty and ignorance. They've teamed up with Vietnamese Coffee  to offer coffee where a portion of the proceeds will be donated directly to this worthy cause.

The Somaly Mam Foundation was Co-founded by sex slavery survivor Somaly Mam who was sold into sex slavery as a young child in Cambodia.  The foundation works to eradicate sex slavery, liberate its victims, and empower survivors to create and sustain lives of dignity. Buy a survivor-made product and help a survivor become financially self-sufficient as she embraces her new life. Wear your heart and hand to reflect your compassion for the enslaved, and your commitment to securing their freedom.



Freedom Firm is dedicated to the liberation of children enslaved in commercial sexual exploitation, to their effective rehabilitation, and to justice against those who have profited from their misery.  They sell beautiful hand-crafted jewelry made by women rescued from prostitution in India. Like this bracelet for $15.  Visit Ruhamah Designs to see more.


Sak Saum is a ministry that offers rescue, rehabilitation and restoration to vulnerable  women who have experienced the devastation of trafficking in Cambodia.  100% of the sales from the online store go back into Sak Saum's ministry budget for salaries, housing, transportation, healthcare, educational opportunities and more.  This super cute Apron Set for Mother and Daughter is $40.  Prices include shipping!

Love 146  works toward the abolition of child trafficking and exploitation through prevention and aftercare. They get their name from the number of a girl being sold in a brothel.  The ID number 146 was pinned to her red dress.  Love146 trains aftercare workers, multiplies safehomes, aids socioeconomic development programs in high risk communities and provides a voice for these victims of modern-day slavery.  For the man in your life, how about this T-shirt with the Martin Luther King quote? $20.

For the person who has everything how about Donating to a Cause in their name?  There are many great organizations out there.  I recently highlighted the work of Ink 180 in this post Here.  They are doing amazing work to help victims of human trafficking.

Or simply shop from a Fair Trade retailer.  I will talk more about Fair Trade in a future post, but here is a quick explanation.  Fair Trade retailers adhere to standards such as those banning child and slave labor and guaranteeing a safe workplace.

Happy Shopping...

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